Pakistan has a diverse climate that supports around 6000 plant species, 700 of which have medicinal value. Nearly 300 medicinal plants are traded locally and internationally. While medicinal plants make important contributions to livelihoods and healthcare, most collection is unsustainable and done by vulnerable groups like children and women. There is a need for more cultivation of medicinal plants, sustainable wild harvesting, and improved policies and market access to strengthen this sector.

2. Role of Medicinal Plants and their
Economic s
A
Presentation
BY
Mr. Allah Dad Khan
allahdad52@gmail.com

3. 1. Herbal medicine -- also called botanical
medicine or phytomedicine -- refers to
using a plant's seeds, berries, roots, leaves,
bark, or flowers for medicinal purposes.
2. Herbalism has a long tradition of use
outside of conventional medicine.
3. It is becoming more main stream as
improvements in analysis and quality
control along with advances in clinical
research show the value of herbal medicine
in treating and preventing disease

4. 1. The geographical location of Pakistan has
provided an ideal environment for the
growth and nourishment of different
medicinal plant species.
2. The country is gifted with diverse vegetation
types occurring in the tropical, sub-tropical
desert, semi-desert, temperate, sub-alpine
and alpine ecosystems.

7. 1. Pakistan has a diverse climatic condition supporting the
growth of nearly 6000 higher plant species .
2. Of which 700 plant species are reported for their medicinal
value and the number is increasing constantly due to
current interest of local researchers in natural products.
3. Nearly 300 medicinal plants are traded locally and
internationally.
4. Pakistan obtains more than 80 per cent of its
medicaments from higher plants

8.  Medicinal plant species is one of the most
important elements of biodiversity that usually
grows in all kind of ecosystems and posses
high pharmaceutical, economic and ecological
values.
 Different parts of medicinal plants are sold in
large quantities both in national and
international markets, indicating its
importance as a source of income for the
inhabitants of Pakistan.

12. 1. Presently, the total value of medicines
consumed in country both imported and
manufactured by national and
multinational drug companies is more than
100 billion rupees per year.
2. Out of this, 95% raw material is imported.

13. 1. Majority of the medicinal plants is found in
less developed and far flung parts of the
country like Gilgit Baltistan, FATA and parts
of Baluchistan, KPK and Kashmir.
2. Therefore, their proper utilization could not
only contribute to poverty alleviation in
these areas but also could contribute to
overall economic development of country.

14. Bulks of the wild medicinal plants are collected
by children (47 per cent) and women (34 per
cent) having no background of proper plant
collection which have caused a rapid threat to
some of the economically important medicinal
plants.

15. a) Poverty and Lack of Access to Costly
Medicines.
b) Lack of Awareness of Herbal medicines
c) Quality concern
d) lack of standardization
e) lack of listing formulae constituents
f) Private sector participation isolated
g) Policy and Regulatory gaps
h) Inadequate Knowledge and actions to make
herbal medicine as a commercial/business
enterprise

16. Medicinal plants are not only a mean of health
care, but make an important contribution to
livelihoods of poor communities all over the
world .World trade in medicinal plants
accounts for about 30 percent of the total drug
market.

17.  The current value of global trade of the medicinal plant
products has been put over US$ 75 billion per year and is
growing at the rate of 12.5% annually, expecting to reach
$5 trillion by 2050
 This percentage excludes plants used for non-medicinal
purposes. Bulk of the raw material (90%) is produced in
developing countries (Asia, Africa and Latin America) and
60% is imported/ processed and used in the developed
countries.

18. Asia represents the greatest volume of medicinal plants used
across regions, both domestically and for export. The
international trade of medicinal plants is dominated by only
few countries. About 80 % of the world-wide exports of
medicinal plants are allotted to only 12 countries with the
dominance of China and India as the world’s leading
producing nations

19. China, which harvests an estimated 80% of its medicinal plant
material from wild sources, exports an estimated 32,600 tons
of medicinal raw material each year

20. 1. Demand for a wide variety of MAP species is increasing
with growth in human needs, numbers and commercial
trade. Increasing the number of medicinal plants species
in cultivation would appear to be an important strategy for
meeting a growing demand.
2. Majority of the people in Pakistan rely on medicinal plants
to find treatment for their minor, even in some cases major
diseases. Some wild plants are now being commonly used
e.g. Ephedra, Artimisia,
3. In most instances, certain plant species are considered
specific for a particular illness but occasionally they have
mixed usage.
4. Alongside the annual import of many medicinal plants by
herbal, cosmetic and food industries is a positive indicator
for cropping these plants inland in the country.

21. 5. But unfortunately in Pakistan not enough emphasis has
been given to cultivation of medicinal Plant, though we are
blessed with a country which has an altitudinal range from 0 -
8611 m, hence having variety of climatic conditions at a given
time.
6.The organic farming is a basic philosophy for production of
medicinal herbs. Organic farming methods are based on
nature’s principles of production.
7. Organically produced medicinal herbs are believed to be
living in harmony with the natural system by cooperating rather
than competing.
8.Most of the medicinal herb species are collected from the
wild but some of these are also grown particularly by small
farmers to diversify their cropping system and to earn some
additional income for their sustenance

22. 9.The organic farming is a basic philosophy for production of
medicinal herbs. Organic farming methods are based on
nature’s principles of production.
10 Organically produced medicinal herbs are believed to be
living in harmony with the natural system by cooperating rather
than competing.
11.Most of the medicinal herb species are collected from the
wild but some of these are also grown particularly by small
farmers to diversify their cropping system and to earn some
additional income for their sustenance

25. 1. To develop a balanced health policy to provide efficient
and acceptable health services, we
2. need to understand the diversity of health-seeking
behavior of the population in both (allelopathy and
traditional medicine) health care system of Pakistan
3. The state regulatory authorities have a crucial role to
play in this scenario, in terms of recognition of herbal
medicines, financing and appreciating training and
research in this field.
4. A positive interaction between all cadres of health
providers, academicians, policy makers and researchers
has to be harnessed to work for a common goal to
improve the health of the people
5. Integration of alternative medicine with the mainstream
allopathic therapeutics

26. 6.A positive interaction between all cadres of health
providers, academicians, policy makers and researchers has
to be harnessed to work for a common goal to improve the
health of the people
7.Integration of alternative medicine with the mainstream
allopathic therapeutics. Now it is the time that government
should start public awareness campaign about importance of
medicinal plants in country economy.
8. Special emphasis should be given on conservation of plant
species in the form of herbal gardens and gene banks.
9.According to a study, out of 709 endangered plant species of
the world, nearly 64 species are endemic to Pakistan.
10.The local people should be trained for proper collection,
cultivation, processing and marketing of medicinal plants.
11.The government should provide linkage of collectors with
market and dealers not only at national level but also at
international level.

27. 1. Now it is the time that government should start public
awareness campaign about importance of medicinal
plants in country economy.
2. Special emphasis should be given on conservation of
plant species in the form of herbal gardens and gene
banks.
3. According to a study, out of 709 endangered plant species
of the world, nearly 64 species are endemic to Pakistan.
4. The local people should be trained for proper collection,
cultivation, processing and marketing of medicinal plants.
5. The government should provide linkage of collectors with
market and dealers not only at national level but also at
international level.

28. 1. The farmers need to be guided and provided
information about the types of market that exist
locally and determine whether they may be
suitable to supply.
2. Each market might require different types of
distribution and promotion.
3. In the rural market, distribution was via
middleman.
4. Depending on the area that a farmer wishes to
cover and the number of such sales outlets, it
may be possible to supply them on the basis of
contract with some agency involved in the
business of medicinal herbs/spices.

29.  Since natural compounds are highly value added possible
because of multiple known reasons products, it is
therefore extremely important to induct new However,
different models for the standardization of modern
techniques in the method of collection and other
phytomedicine is available that need further polishing
processes involved in the product development in order to
prevent irrelevant wastage of time and expenditures.

30.  The cultivation of medicinal plants is highly applications
recommended for sustainable development of herbal
industry by adopting modern scientific techniques meet
not only the growing local but also to earn foreign
exchange from the export of plant oriented various,
products.
 The perfect coordination of numerous fields is crucial , in
the discovery of phytomedicine.
 The identification and the collection of plant material
from specific locality is the job ethno botanist.


31. There is therefore, a need to find ways to harvest medicinal
plants sustainably from the wild, train local collectors (in
proper collection techniques, train the people in growing
medicinal plants, and remove some of the middlemen from
the trading chain.